Light Under the Cloak of Darkness
by DarkDragonFirewing
Summary: Harry, raised by Voldemort, was to be a deadly weapon, but his pure heart gets in the way. Powerful!Intelligent!Slytherin!Wealthy!Harry loyal!draco. No slash, only a friendship/trust story
1. Pure Heart

Voldemort smiled proudly at his creation. Harry Potter, whom he had stolen from his parents' house that night, had turned into one of the most powerful, _dark_ beings in the world, and he was under the direct influence of the Dark Lord himself, even more powerful than him even! Harry Potter was, in short, Voldemort's number one weapon, trained by the Dark Lord himself!

Harry now was standing in front of Voldemort, looking up to him with that always curious look on his face. "Father, what is your mission for me?"

Voldemort answered coldly, though inside he felt strong emotion for the boy, whose connection to him was the most intimate of all his connections, "You are eleven now, boy. It's time for you to enter a school - Hogwarts the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will help me bring upon the defeat of the great Light wizard, Albus Dumbledore." He frowned when Harry's eyes turned into one of disagreement. That was one aspect of Harry that Voldemort was unable to fix - his innocence and purity. Harry was still retaining the personalities of his parents. "Potter!" He had still allowed Harry's surname be kept as well as his first name.

Harry's face turned blank as he bowed. "Of course, Father." And he turned to leave.

"Wait, son." Voldemort decided to break his adoptive son's soft heart once and for all. "I want to test your loyalty to me."

Harry stopped and then asked, "What is it you require of me, Father?"

"I want you to use the Cruciatus Curse on a particular Death Eater who is also getting his Dark Mark today." Voldemort hissed out, "Bring the boy!"

Harry turned his head towards the door, his eyes wide and filled with curiosity and apprehension. To his surprise, in came a boy no older than he is. Blond hair, icy blue eyes. A Malfoy. He must be Lucius and Narcissa's son - Draco. He was about to protest to Voldemort but instead held his tongue.

Draco was thrown down in front of him at his feet and Voldemort hissed the order to torture him. Harry watched Draco cower in front of him and immediately felt sorry for the poor boy. From what he knew about Draco, Draco never wanted to join the Death Eaters in the first place. Harry sighed and pointed his wand at Draco, hoping Draco has the wits to play along. "Crucio!"

For a second, Draco seemed confused when no pain hit him, but he then began screaming. Good thing Voldemort didn't catch it. Draco even had the acting skills to allow tears come from his eyes.

After a while, Harry lifted the curse. "I have followed through with your order, Father."

If Voldemort wouldn't lose face, he would've did a happy dance then. So his adoptive son wasn't entirely soft-hearted! "Bravo, son! And you're only eleven! Alright, you are dismissed."

Harry bowed and returned to his luxuriously furnished room. There, he finally allowed his countenance to fade, revealing his disdain at Voldemort. The First Wizarding War had turned in Voldemort's favor, but Dumbledore was still a major problem. However, strangely, Harry felt Dumbledore was a good thing. He had seen how Voldemort treated his followers now; imagine what he would do once he won the war! When he had been five, he had looked upon Voldemort as a fatherly figure, but now...

Harry thought back. He had recognized evil when he saw it being performed by Voldemort and knew what was the right thing to do. Now he understood another concept. He had known what was the right thing to do because he hadn't allowed his cleverness and superiority or anything else for that matter to justify evil acts. Those who were truly evil looked at their acts and think that they're justified. However, his own heart was different. Though he was raised by evil, he was good. Very rarely does this happen.

There were knocks on his door and he answered, "Come in." Draco opened the door tentatively, nervously. "Master?"

Harry closed his eyes. As he was Voldemort's adoptive son, all the Death Eaters referred to him as 'master' or 'milord'. Harry could hear Draco's uncertainty in approaching him like this. After all, he had been raised by Voldemort. Harry was unpredictable. He could've just spared Draco on a whim; it does not mean that he was kind. "Yes, Malfoy, that is my title."

Draco's pale face turned pink at Harry's light mockery. Though Harry wasn't completely affected by Voldemort's raising, some of the effects still show. Draco gulped, immediately regretting approaching Harry. "I-I just w-wanted to ask why you spared me..." he stuttered, his voice barely above a mutter.

Harry walked up to him and lifted Draco's chin; Draco's gaze had been downcast as his status demanded. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." He pulled the other boy inside and closed the door.

Draco widened his eyes like a frightened animal, and forgetting what Harry said and thinking that he had offended the 'prince' somehow, he dropped to his knees and began to apologize while Harry just watched him with exasperation on his face.

"For Merlin's sake, Draco, I only pulled you in so we could talk in privacy. I don't want Voldemort to listen in!"

Draco stopped grovelling, wincing at Voldemort's name, and stared at Harry in confusion. "What don't you want the Dark Lord to hear, Sir? And why do you want to talk to me of all people?" Seeing Harry's look, Draco diverted his gaze and muttered, "I apologize, Sir, for being so rude..."

"Whatever. Sit down, and I'll explain why I want to talk to you in private. To answer you question, I spared you because I don't have the guts to torture someone so defenseless." Seeing Draco's shocked look, Harry hissed, "Don't you dare spread this around!" Calming himself, he continued, "And also..." He sighed. He needed to vent his feelings for once, and today was the day he needed to explode. Voldemort had always said that feelings were weak, so Harry never had the chance to tell his 'father' how he felt - when he's frustrated, sad, lonely, angry, or even happy. He always had to be stoic and blase. However, the emotions are still there behind the unmoving mask. "...I need a friend, Draco. Someone who can help me I need it and be there for me," he finished honestly. "I was kinda hoping you will. I don't meet many people my age."

Draco just stood there, gawking at Harry's honesty. He had always thought this person in front of him was cold and strong. He could never have guessed that Harry was so vulnerable inside. For a moment, he thought Harry was just trying to trick him, but his eyes were filled with emotion. Then Draco, whose only so-called friends were Crabbe and Goyle, having gotten over his shock, was ecstatic at the thought of being friends with such a powerful wizard (Harry already had a wand). But then he saw what Harry's word could really mean, replying, "Of course, I'll be your subordinate, Sir."

Harry snorted. "You can if you want to, but I still need a friend."

"I'm honored, Sir."

"Then can you stop calling me 'Sir'? It's awkward and annoying. My name's Harry, not 'Sir'."

"Yes, Si- Harry."


	2. Future Inheritence

Draco sat on Harry's bed, watching him pack up everything with a flick of his wand. Harry was as organized as can be and was taking much longer than necessary. He was packing everything into one trunk, which was enchanted so that all seven compartments together would hold as much space as a small house. It wasn't surprising that Lucius brought Harry this for his birthday as he had as many books as a library. It was a requirement that the Death Eaters each give Harry a present for when the occasion demands it. For example, Yaxley had bought Hedwig for Harry for Christmas, and Bellatrix gave him dragon skin gloves so that Hedwig could perch on his hand without slicing his flesh with her talons. Of course, the beginning of term wasn't until September and it's only July, but Harry wouldn't wait.

Knock. Knock. Knock. "Yes?" Harry called.

It was Yaxley. "Sir, the Dark Lord wants to see you."

"Coming!" He nodded to Draco, who remained in his room, as Harry went into Voldemort's throne room. "Yes, Father?"

"I have decided that since today is your birthday before you go to Hogwarts, I want to give you a present." He paused. "No, two presents as make-up for all the years I haven't given you any." When Harry widened his eyes in surprise, Voldemort chuckled in his humorless voice. "Your first present is..." He summoned Hedwig and flicking his wand at her, muttered an incantation.

In moments, she was aflamed, and Harry nearly lost his composure over his animal friend. However, the flame didn't kill her. Instead, it turned her into a white phoenix with red flight feathers, tail feathers, with red flecks mixing with the white. After transforming she swooped down onto Harry's arms and looked at him with her yellow eyes. Obviously, the transformation hadn't changed her memories or anything.

Harry was speechless. "Thank you, Sir."

Voldemort chuckled once again. "It's about time you learn some respect. Now, your second present..." There was a hissing sound and a large snake slithered towards Harry. It was as large as a boa but it was poisonous. Harry could see venom dripping from its fangs as it stopped in front of him, regarding him with calculation.

"These two presents are yours to use." With that Voldemort voiced his dismissal and Harry bowed in thanks and left.

Harry stroked Hedwig on the head and asked to himself, "How did he do this? And for me?" Harry smiled as the phoenix nuzzled against his cheek affectionately. He turned to the snake who was staring at him with eyes that made it obvious that he was loyal to him with his life. "Voldemort chose wisely," he whispered.

Draco looked up when he entered and yelped. "Where did they come from, Harry?"

"Voldemort. Birthday presents," Harry answered happily. Draco was the only one he ever showed his feelings in front of. "This is the best year ever!"

Draco smirked. "You always say that every year. Not that I'm surprise. We all give you the best."

Harry took his wand and flicked it at Hedwig's old perch, enlarging it to fit the new Hedwig and he vanished the cage altogether. "I don't think phoenixes like cages, don't you?" He turned to his snake and asked in Parseltongue, "What's your name?"

"_My name is the name you give me. My name will shape me, and give you authority over me. A name you choose for me, choose it wisely_."

Harry thought for a second before saying, "Erykah seems perfect, even though it's normally used as a girl name. It means 'ever powerful'."

_"Thank you for the name." _

Draco stared at the snake and said, "Wow, two powerful creatures." His voice had a hint of jealousy in it and Harry laughed. "Whatever I have is also yours. You know that! No need to get jealous!" Draco replied defensively, "I am NOT jealous. I just want to buy a snake myself."

"Good luck with taming it," Harry replied, closing his open trunk. "Hmm, I have to go to Gringotts today. Care to join me?"

Draco nodded eagerly and grabbed Harry for Side-along Apparition. The soon appeared in front of Gringotts and Harry whispered, "I've been keeping this a secret from Voldemort for a while, so don't go blabbering about it. When I first came to Diagon Alley, I was alone, so naturally, he doesn't know about this." He pulled Draco through and up to a goblin walking down the walkway and whispered, "Griphook, could you show me to Lord Rockhand? The owner of Gringotts?"

Griphook looked up at Harry and, recognizing him, said in a semi-fond voice, "This way, Mr. Potter, sir." Turning, he gave Malfoy a stern look that obviously meant, "This is private. Wait here." He showed Harry to a large office and Harry walked inside. "Lord Rockhand?"

"Ah, my polite friend. It's been a while. I assumed you're here to learn about your inheritance? And how is the terrible Dark Lord doing? Not torturing you I hope." The goblin walked up to Harry, looking up at him.

"No, of course not, and yes, I'm hear to learn about my heritage." Harry bowed his head politely.

The goblin nodded and motioned for him to sit down. "I will only need a sample of your blood to tell you which families you're an heir to. I assumed there's many as your father was the only heir to many pureblood families." He cut Harry's finger and allowed a drop of blood to drip onto a piece of paper. His blood disappeared into the paper and then writing appeared:

_Harry James Potter is the only heir to the pureblood families of Potter, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Ainsworth...(it continues for four more families)._

"Interesting, my friend. Somehow, you're a direct heir of all these families. Before, you and You-Know-Who were both heirs of Slytherin, but now, he is the current heir while you will be the future heir after he dies because he took you under his care. Their blood runs through your veins. You're even the direct descendent of Merlin himself! Goodness!" Lord Rockhand's grin wavered slightly as he informed Harry, "However, Harry, you can't reach your inheritance yet as you're not of age. However, I will give you a parchment telling of your inheritance and all the papers you need concerning it. I think you will look forward to receiving your inheritance, as then you will be, if not close, to being the richest man on earth."

Harry nodded, shocked to the core on the inside, but maintaining his calm look on the outside. "Sir, please don't tell..."

"...the Dark Lord?" the goblin finished for him. "Don't worry, Mr. Potter." His eyes twinkled. "All vaults at Gringotts under our care is safe. Oh, and I have a feeling you want to transfer all your treasures into one vault. It will be much easier to keep an eye on it that way."

"Oh, yes, please!" Harry nodded vigorously.

"Now, I have to give you..." He snapped his fingers and a ring appeared in his hand. It was a simple gold band with the Potter family seal interwoven with some other families seals. Harry could vaguely make out the badger of Hufflepuff, the raven of Ravenclaw, the lion of Gryffindor, and the serpent of...Salazar Slytherin. "Wear this and on the day you turn seventeen, you will automatically receive all of your inheritance. So, just in case you might be...busy," the goblin's eyes darkened, obviously thinking of Voldemort, "you won't have to come all the way to Gringotts to claim everything. The ring will also signifies that you're the Head and Heir of all these families. Oh, it's also useful in that whatever ward you want to put over your estates, just cast it over your ring and it will apply to them all, saving a lot of time. You can do it now if you wish; you can do whatever you want with your inheritance now. You just can't actually go into the estates or take out your money until you're seventeen. A spell is put over the ring, so that it will...change when necessary."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused, but the goblin only smiled mysteriously.

"Now please sign all of these papers and your inheritance will be yours immediately on the night you turn seventeen and will remain yours, providing you still wear your ring of course."

Finished with the paperwork and organizing his inheritance, Harry took the ring and slipped it on his middle finger. "Sir, could you help me cast a Fidelius Charm on all of my estates...with some powerful wards?" Harry had a vague feeling that one day, he might actually have to go into hiding.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. Oh, and here are the papers associated with the estates and the rest of your inheritance," Lord Rockhand said, handing Harry a folder bulging with maps of his estates, his current budget, his trust fund, etc.

"Thank you...for everything, Lord Rockhand."

"Always a pleasure, Mr. Potter - the Boy Who Lived."

......

Draco paced. It was getting extremely dark and Harry still hadn't come out. "Where is that...?"

"Malfoy, why are you pacing?" asked a voice behind him, making him jump. "Let's go home now."

"Harry, what's going on?" Draco asked as he grabbed Harry's arm, both apparating to the Death Eaters' hideout.

"Let's just say that today has surprised me greatly." Then Harry thought inside his mind, _However, money isn't everything..._


	3. Unprejudiced

One month later...

Draco sighed. His friend was still grieving over Voldemort's downfall. His adoptive father had tried to kill the Longbottoms, whose son he assumed was the actual chosen since Harry, he believed, wasn't. However, his killing curse at Neville was deflected back at him somehow. "Harry?" He knocked on his friend's door timidly. Last time he had tried to approach him after Voldemort's disappearance, Harry had cursed him - something Harry had never done before. Draco had been unable to move for days out of sheer pain.

Surprisingly, Harry did opened the door. His face was tearstained and his eyes bloodshot red. Seeing Draco, he didn't seem to recognize him.

"Harry, dinner's ready." Draco was extremely worried. Harry hadn't eaten for two weeks nor, he could guess, had he slept. The world had came crashing down on his friend's shoulders at the downfall of the Dark Lord. Although Harry disagreed with Voldemort's intentions and plans and was disgusted with his cruelty, Voldemort had still been a fatherly figure to him; he had raised Harry and taught him.

Harry blinked before tears, which he didn't notice nor feel, ran down his cheeks.

Draco gulped, not knowing how Harry would react to his next move. He went in and, closing the door, held the smaller boy. He had never comforted anyone before and this was awkward for him, but he knew Harry needed a lot of support right now. Harry didn't resist but only buried his face into Malfoy's chest. "Let it out, let it out..." Draco whispered soothingly.

It seems as if Harry finally regained part of his senses when he whispered, "He was like a father to me, Draco..."

"I know, I know," Draco replied, in his still soothing voice. "Let it out."

After a while, Harry was breathing more peacefully and Draco assumed he was asleep - the first time in days. Then after a few minutes, Harry whispered, "I'm sorry, Draco...it must've hurt..."

Draco grinned, knowing Harry was talking about his curse on him. It did hurt like crud, next to unbearable, but Draco was a Malfoy - he could take it. He was immensely proud of himself when he didn't scream or let out a sound, not once, in those three days he had suffered. "It's okay, Potter. Just sleep and stop talking."

...............

Three weeks later...

Harry sauntered over to their chosen compartment. His green eyes were shining with happiness and he pulled Draco in with him. He shut the compartment door and let out a sigh of contentment. After a few days of sleep and a few square meals, Harry was up and felt stronger than ever.

Draco looked up into his superior friend's eyes and couldn't help but smile. He hadn't seen Harry smile in such a long time - since after Voldemort's downfall. "What house do you think you'll be in?"

Harry looked thoughtful. "Most likely Slytherin, though Gryffindor and Ravenclaw ain't so bad. Hufflepuff's my least favorite, but I can manage. Let's go check out all the other compartments." He stood up, and Malfoy was only too willing to follow him. The first compartment they came to held Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Daphne Greengrass. Seeing Harry and Draco, they gave a friendly, polite nod and invited them to join, which the duo declined politely. Continuing on, they reached a compartment to which Draco gave a snort of disgust.

Harry gave him a raised eyebrow. "Behave, Draco."

Draco groaned. "But there's a Mudblood and a blood traitor! Not to mention the..." He was silenced by a look from Harry. Even though he wanted more than anything to protest, he was also quite amazed by how Harry could remained so polite even when approaching a Mudblood. Then again, Harry was always better at controlling his emotions than Malfoy was.

Harry opened the compartment door. "Hello, hope you don't mind if we pop in for a visit."

Draco, forgetting what Harry said, sneered the moment he set eyes on Ron, "Oh, what do we have here? A definite Weasle. Father always told me that the Weasles all have red hair, has freckles, and have more children than they can afford. Oh, and there's a Mudblood and the Boy Who Lived." It was at the Boy Who Lived part that Draco actually seemed to show a sign of outrage, and Harry knew why. Neville had taken Harry's title, the title that the wizarding world should be calling Harry, not Neville. After all, Harry was the first to survive the Killing Curse.

Harry sighed and laid a hand on Draco's shoulder, calming him immediately. "Draco," he said warningly.

Ron sprang to his feet. "Well, if it isn't a Malfoy prat."

"Excuse my friend's manners," Harry began, inclining his head politely. "He's kinda prejudiced." He gave Draco's shoulder a hard squeeze, making Draco turn slightly red, feeling humiliated. Harry sighed, hating to embarrass him in any way, but the boy was just going way past the line. "May I have the honor of knowing your names?"

Ron was still breathing heavily from the insults, but he sat down at Harry's words. "Ron Weasley," he muttered.

Harry nodded and looked at Hermione next.

"Hermione Granger. And you are?"

Harry chuckled. "Harry. Harry Potter." Then he turned to Neville, his voice controlled, "And you must be Neville Longbottom." Though he felt angered at Neville taking Voldemort's life away, he could blame him. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong. "The Boy Who Lived," he whispered, making Neville turn pink. "Oh, and I see you already know Draco Malfoy." He pulled Draco, who had been ignoring the whole introduction, to his side.

Ron snorted. "Yeah. Our families go way back. How can you be friends with him? If you're new to the wizarding world, I'll just tell you that he's a Slytherin."

Harry could feel Draco shifting next to him and replied, "I know, but he's a friend. We were acquainted this summer." His voice had an edge to it, partly due to his annoyance with Ron. Normally, his patience was legendary, but this was ones of the few times that it has worn dangerously thin. Though his voice was calm, some of his annoyance had leaked out. He was particularly touchy whenever someone begins to insult his friend; this was due to how vulnerable he knew Draco was. The blond was extremely vulnerable inside no matter how much of a front he put up, and Harry knows this.

Hermione kicked Ron in the leg. "Ronald Weasley, he's being nice to us, so stop insulting his friend! Have some manners for Merlin's sake!"

Harry smiled at her. "You're a Muggleborn, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she replied, her voice seem to be saying - 'You got a problem with that?'

"Just asking." Harry chuckled at her reaction. Then he turned to Neville and frowned, though the boy was looking at him with friendly eyes. Harry brushed Neville's bangs aside and saw the lightning bolt scar clearly - the same mark on his own forehead. Harry's jaw tightened and he whispered, "We have to leave now. Come on, Draco. Let's go talk to Zabini, Greengrass, and Parkinson as I doubt Crabbe and Goyle will provide decent conversation - intellectually wise." He saw the trio in the compartment smirk at his comment and he said to them, "It's been a pleasure to meet you three." He pulled Draco out but not before he heard Ron saying to Hermione, "Did you see that guy's, Potter's, reaction when he saw Neville? He looked as if he wants to kill him or something. He's scary..."

Hermione had replied, "Honestly, Ron, maybe he wouldn't have reacted so if you hadn't provoked him about Malfoy. Malfoy's a jerk, but he's still his friend, and Potter's nice."

Harry chuckled. He was getting extremely fond with that witch. They got into the same compartment as Zabini, Greengrass, and Parkinson, and they started up a conversation, the Slytherins extremely interested in Harry as he was considered, and basically is, Voldemort's adoptive son.

"Wow, you're extremely...nice for the Dark Lord's son, aren't you?" Zabini asked tentatively, not knowing much about Harry's character.

Harry let out a laugh. "Yeah, I get that a lot." With that, the conversations went smoothly and before they knew it, they were at Hogwarts.

"Firs' years this way!" came a booming voice.

Draco sneered upon seeing the gamekeeper. "Who's that big oaf? He's probably part giant or something."

"Draco, be polite," Harry whispered calmly. "He probably is, though." Then he looked up at Hagrid. "Who're you?"

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. Now who would you be?"

"Harry. Harry Potter." Hagrid blinked. "'scuse me? Can you say that again?"

"Harry Potter!" Harry said louder.

Hagrid peered at him and whispered softly so no one would hear, "Could you really be the son of James and Lily Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess, if their names end with Potter then I guess so."

Hagrid stared at him for a second before nodding. "How were you alive all these years? Their house at Godric's Hollow had been blown up because you-know-who attacked and tried to kill you all!"

Harry paled. Voldemort didn't say anything about this attempted murder when he had asked about his parents. Had his 'father' actually tried to kill him intentionally? Voldemort had said that he had accidentally cast the Killing Curse at him to protect him when someone had tried to kidnap him. Luckily he had survived the unintentional spell. Now that Harry thought of it, it didn't make sense - at least Voldemort's story. How could Harry have survived? Did that mean Voldemort lied to him? However Harry only replied to Hagrid's question with, "I had lived with my aunt and uncle."

They rowed on the boats to Hogwarts and as they approached the great hall, a stern-looking woman stood in front of them. She explained about the houses and points and everything before going inside the hall, leaving them waiting outside. Harry heard Ron saying something about fighting trolls and laughed. When Ron gave him a look, Harry only smiled and replied, "Trust me; we won't be fighting trolls. Some common sense will do you some good, Weasley. If we're going to fight trolls on our very first day, we wouldn't survive! This school would be deserted!" He caught Hermione smiling at him and asked her with genuine curiosity, "What?"

Hermione answered with the same sincerity, "That was a clever answer. You used a lot of logic in it to reason why we wouldn't be fighting trolls."

Harry smiled and his eyes caught something in their peripheral vision. He turned around and saw Draco holding a toad, Neville's, by its legs above his head while the 'Boy Who Lived' was trying to get it from him. Harry personally thought toads were a waste of time and money and, due to his dislike of Neville, was tempted to just let Draco harrass the boy. However, his conscience won in the end...again. He sent his friend a piercing look, and Draco, disappointed, handed Neville back his toad just as Professor McGonagall came out.

They went into the great hall and Harry marveled at its ceiling. _I just have to do that on my ceiling, _he thought. In front where the teachers sat, he saw Albus Dumbledore, a man who was the exact image of what a muggle would think of when describing a wizard. His eyes twinkled as he looked at the students. No, not the students. He was looking at Harry, his eyes knowing as if he knew what had happened to Harry all these years and what Harry's true parentage was...

Professor McGonagall came to the front with a large scroll. "When I call your name, please come forth. Hannah Abbott!" And the names continue.

Harry zoned out until she called out, "Draco Malfoy!" The moment the hat touched his head, it yelled out, "SLYTHERIN!" Harry smiled, winking at him as he passed. After a while, Professor McGonagall seemed to hesitate at his name, looking confused and slightly shocked. "Harry Potter!" she finally called.

He calmly walked up to the sorting hat and put it on. "_Ah, you have the blood of the Founders in your veins. The thirst for knowledge from Ravenclaw, the loyalty of Hufflepuff, the bravery and courage of Gryffindor, and the cleverness and ambition of Slytherin. This is very hard. However, you are pure of heart despite your raising." _Harry remembered Draco got sorted into Slytherin, and Draco would be crushed if they weren't in the same house. The two were like brothers. "Sort me into Slytherin. My friend's there, and I want to be in the same house as him."

_"You aren't supposed to be sorted into the same house as your friend, Potter. You're supposed to be sorted by your personality and abilities. I would say Gryffindor or Ravenclaw would be more suiting. Your abilities and personality most fitted in Gryffindor..."_

"No. I want Slytherin. I don't care if evil wizards came from there or whatever. My friend needs me."

_"Loyalty of a Hufflepuff as well. But if you wish...SLYTHERIN!"_

Harry grinned and leaped down from the stool, walking over to Draco, who was grinning from cheek to cheek. The rest of the hall only clapped politely. Harry looked up the teacher's table to see Snape, whom he recognized as a spy for Voldemort, gawking at him. Why was that? Then he looked over to the other teachers and saw Professor McGonagall looking slightly shocked and Hagrid looking sad. When he saw Dumbledore, the old wizard only smiled at him, the twinkle in his eyes still not wavering.

After the sorting, Dumbledore waved his wand and food appeared on the tables. Harry piled his plate high, his stomach rumbling as he had skipped breakfast and lunch altogether.

Draco suddenly widened his eyes. "H-Harry, the Bloody..."

Harry turned around and grinned. "Hello, Mr. Bloody Baron. It's a pleasure to meet you. You must be the Slytherin house ghost. I'm Harry Potter and this is my friend Draco. We're first years."

The whole hall suddenly quieted down, staring at Harry as if he had grown two heads. The boy must be crazy to converse with the Bloody Baron as if he was a friend. Draco himself wasn't looking happy as he was introduced. The Bloody Baron stared at Harry before saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Potter. You should've been sorted into Gryffindor for your bravery of speaking to me."

Harry shrugged. "Should've but the hat didn't." With that, the ghost flew away, and the hall resumed its feasting. "This year looks to be interesting, Draco?"

"Yeah, but I want to torture Longbottom a little. He's a prat."

Harry sighed, deciding telling Draco otherwise is like "preaching to the dead". "Strange, though, isn't it? You have Ravenclaw, whose symbol is a raven; Slytherin, whose symbol, the serpent, slithers on the ground; and Gryffindor, whose name takes partly after the griffin, which is close to its house symbol, the lion. But then you have Hufflepuff. It's kinda random, is it not?"

Draco snorted. "If I got sorted into Hufflepuff, I'd think I'd leave, don't you?"

The table nearest to them, the Hufflepuffs, glared at the Slytherin before one of them, Justin Finch-Fletchley, called to Malfoy, "Better in Hufflepuff than Slytherin!"

Malfoy sneered. "I'd rather be smart than loyal thank you very much. You wanna die saving your friends, go ahead. I think I'd survive, unlike you morons."

Harry glared at Malfoy before stepping in, saying to the Hufflepuffs, "Sorry about him. Hufflepuff really isn't so bad. I was just saying your house name sounded kinda random, at least compared to the other houses. Not trying to offend you or anything though. I'm just making a comment. Think nothing of it."

Justin calmed down and replied, "No offense taken. You're kinda nice for a Slytherin, aren't you?"

"Slytherins are supposed to be sneaky and clever. Of course I sound nice. Wait until I backstab you though. I won't be so nice then," Harry replied, smirking but giving Justin a wink to let him know that he was just joking. He saw Zabini in front of him asked, shocked, "Are you _talking_ to them, Potter?" Harry rolled his eyes at Zabini and replied, "Blaise, Blaise, Blaise, for Merlin's sake, the houses have to get along one day. Besides, they were all friends at some point in history. Might as well get together again. We're all witches and wizards here."

Then Draco whispered to him, "But Finch-Fletchley is a _Mudblood_! He's not supposed to have the same status as us purebloods. We're the _true_ wizards and witches."

Harry glared at him. He may not know much about how his parents died, but he did know this much. "Before you start insulting my late mother, Draco, you should remember that both Voldemort and I are half-bloods!"

Draco blinked. "You're a half-blood? I thought both your parents were purebloods, wizard and witch like us!"

"My mother's a muggleborn," Harry replied coolly. "And I don't want to hear the word 'Mudblood' ever again...from you or anybody else. I don't care if Voldemort says it or whatever. Unless you want to get hexed, I suggest you limit the term to 'muggleborn'." Then he blinked, realizing the hall was quiet again. His cheeks turned slightly pink and he turned to his food. After dinner, they followed their prefect to their dormitories, Draco quiet all the way.

Once they got into their dorms, Draco approached Harry and said, not looking into his eyes, "Sorry about insulting your mother, Harry. I didn't know..."

Harry sighed. "I know you're raised like that, so I'm sorry for losing my temper with you, too. It's just...no matter what blood my mother is, she's still my mother. Without her, I wouldn't be here. I don't know what my mother's like, but I guess I still have feelings for her. You know, a connection family-wise. I have never met her, but we're still family, and our bond still exists, no matter how faint and weak it is through death."

Draco nodded. "So, will you ever forgive me?"

"I'll always forgive you. You're my little dragon."

....................

Throughout the weeks at Hogwarts, Harry was clearly the top student in every subject he had encountered. During classes, instead of actually paying attention, he read books on all types of subjects, keeping his ears open in case the teacher calls on him. Even Professor Mcgonagall, who has a slight prejudice against Slytherins, adored him. To her, he was a perfect example for students - polite, studious, and friendly in all environments.

All the teachers loved him - with the exception of Snape though Harry had no idea why. He ignored him for most of the time. Of course, there was also Professor Quirrell, whom Harry thought always smelled like garlic. Harry personally thought the poor professor was annoying with his stuttering and that he knew practically nothing about the subject he teaches - Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry had read a lot about the subject and was a natural at it, perhaps even more so than the Dark Arts, which had been mainly taught to him by Voldemort. When Harry told Draco about his point of view, Draco just shrugged and replied, "He's a nutter. That's why we're blessed with the brains. So that we could learn these stuff on our own as our teacher obviously doesn't know what the crud he's doing."

As for friends, you could say Harry was extremely popular. After the conversation with the Hufflepuffs the other day, Harry made a lot of friends with the house, who ignored the fact that he was a Slytherin. He also studied a lot in the library with the Ravenclaws and as he knew a lot about the subjects they were taught, he tutored some of his Ravenclaw friends. In his own house, he was best friends with Zabini, Greengrass, and of course Malfoy. To the Gryffindors, they saw him mainly as only a sneaky Slytherin, but then Hermione opened up to him a bit and from there on, they formed a strong friendship, nearly as strong as the bond between him and Draco. Because of this, the Gryffindors warmed up to him more than the other Slytherins. However, all his new friends were second to Draco. They were like brothers and nothing could separate them. Eventually the duo joined together with Hermione (whom Draco only tolerated for Harry's sake), who Harry had grown extremely fond of.

There was also Harry's shared mischievousness with the Weasley twins. He loved their fun-loving ways and joined them in some of their pranks and shenanigans, though he was always careful to avoid being caught - so as to stay on the teachers' good side.

Then there came the day of flying lessons with Madame Hooch.

"Up!" Harry said, willing the broom to come up. The broom flew up to his hand and he grinned, feeling the touch of the wood in his hand. He was meant for flying, to be in the air. He was borne to be free.

"Now mount your brooms, and when I blow the whistle, you will kick off from the ground. Ready? Mr. Longbottom, get down this instant!"

Harry stared as Neville lifted off from the ground. Neville's eyes were filled with fear and his grip wasn't steady. The boy obviously was not meant to fly. The Slytherins were laughing while the Gryffindors were wide-eyed with horror at the thought of what will happen to their housemate. "Longbottom, hold the broom steady!" he yelled out. He wasn't one to like the boy, but he wasn't going to let someone get hurt if he can help it. However, Neville seemed oblivious to his advice. Groaning with frustration, Harry did the only thing he could do to save the boy. He mounted his own broom and kicked off. Neville's broom was trying to buck him off at hundred feet above ground level while at the same time climbing higher and higher into the air.

"Mr. Potter, get down here this instant!"

"Harry, didn't you hear what Madame Hooch said?" he could hear Hermione called out to him, but he ignored her.

Using his instincts, he bent over to gain speed and, not a moment too late, caught Neville just as he was falling down from his broom. It was a narrow catch as he caught the boy just seven feet above the ground with both hands. His broom nearly tipped over at the sudden excess weight and the momentum. "Great Merlin, Longbottom, did you hear what I said about holding the broom steady?" he growled. "If I get into detention for this, you are so dead..." However, Neville promptly fainted.

"Mr. Potter!"

Harry groaned. Now, not only does he receive detention from Madame Hooch but Professor McGonagall as well? What the heck? Really, his luck couldn't get worse.

"Mr. Potter!"

He spoke too soon. Snape was approaching him, too. He felt the urge to faint just like Neville. Madame Hooch approached him and gave him a calculating look, picking up Neville as she did so, and Harry felt as if he was watched by a hawk. The two Hogwarts professors approached him; Snape's face was emotionless while Minerva's was a stern countenance.

"Minerva, he's in my house. I'll take care of this..."

"Severus, I want to see something first." Professor McGonagall conjured up a small ball no larger than a baseball. "Mr. Potter, see if you can catch this..." She flicked her wand and the ball sped over the grounds.

Harry instinctively mounted and sped after it, twenty seconds later catching the ball and returning it to the Gryffindor head. Professor McGonagall turned to Snape and said, "I think you have found your house a Seeker, Severus." Then she walked away, sighing and whispering under her breath, "Looks like Slytherin's going to win the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup this year again. Last time, I couldn't bear facing Severus in the face for days."

Harry chuckled but then felt a slight guilty feeling. _Your abilities and personality most fitted in Gryffindor... _Harry would rather get sorted into Gryffindor than Slytherin, but he just couldn't leave Draco and disappoint Voldemort - had he been alive. Though he had made friends with some Slytherins, they were just too cold in personality for him. He loved the atmosphere the other houses produced, the friendliness, and the warmth. This was shown to him with how Hermione and the Weasley twins treated him. They were warm and welcoming, never cold. Draco had felt the same way after spending a day in their common room; this was why the duo would rarely talk to anyone inside their house outside of each other.

"Mr. Potter, I'll talk to you after class," Snape said coolly.

"Yes, Sir."


	4. Trust and Love

Draco looked up at Harry as he came in, his face splitting into a huge grin. "You got made Seeker, Harry?"

Harry's grin became wider. "Better than that. I was complaining that Flint was a terrible captain and that I don't want to be harassed by him, so Snape (he was kinda desperate to have me as a Seeker) promoted me to a Captain status instead. Dumbledore approved, bending the rules a bit of course. I'm getting my broom next week."

Hermione looked up from a book. "Harry, that was really reckless of you. You could've been expelled!" Her voice showed genuine concern; she wasn't using her 'lecturing' voice like usual.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Granger, he won't get expelled. He saved a student's life! Plus the teachers wouldn't expel their star student." He leaned back against the steps of the staircase and stared up at Harry. "You always were a natural flyer. You could probably play for a Quidditch team right now."

"Nah, I want to be an Auror." Harry grinned when Draco gave him a shocked look. "What? It's fun to be part of the Auror office. A lot of adventure."

Hermione nodded. "True. Especially now when they need help rounding up the leftover Death Eaters. The Wizarding World is still trying to recuperate." Harry's expression darkened and she knew she said something wrong. "Harry? Did I say something wrong?"

Harry sighed. He was extremely close to the witch, and he didn't want to tell her about his past in case she turn her back to him. "It's nothing, 'mione."

"No, really. Tell me. I don't want to accidentally hurt your feelings just because I don't know anything about you."

Draco looked from one person to another, not knowing which side to take. Sure he would've preferred to side with Harry but Granger was right. She had no idea how bad Harry feels about her comment. Carefully, he said to Harry, "Harry, Hermione's right. She doesn't know how you feel about the subject. Besides, she is a...friend." Hermione looked at him in surprise, and Draco glared. She better not be thinking that he's starting to warm up to her.

Harry closed his eyes. "Hermione, you promise you won't hate me if I tell you my secret?"

"I promise."

"I'm Voldemort's adoptive son. And I'm the true Boy Who Lived. I was the first one to survive the Killing Curse. I was the one they called the Dark Lord's Right Hand. I was whom they all feared during the terror of Voldemort. No one knows my name, but they all fear me. The Death Eaters fear me more than Voldemort. Why? Because (excuse my un-humble statement here) I'm more powerful than Voldemort himself. I created spells to enhance my learning abilities, allowing me to gain and retain knowledge quicker, faster, and more efficiently. However, Voldemort was the one who raised me. How could I bite the hand that feeds me? There, Hermione, that's my largest secret. Run, now, if you want to." His voice was calm, but Hermione could see the vulnerable side of him through his eyes.

"I'm not running," she replied. Then she shivered. "But it's still kinda creepy to finally realized that I was friends with You-Know-Who's adoptive son."

Draco snorted, but his eyes shone...as if he finally saw Hermione in a new light. "He's too nice for his son though. He couldn't, or more likely wouldn't, hurt anything. Except the one time when he got really mad at me. Erm, let's just say the curse wasn't what you call painless."

Harry's eyes darkened again. "I'll never forgive myself for that. He had only been trying to help, and I cursed him. I could still hear his screams even 'til now."

Draco laid his arm around him. "I forgave you though."

"So? It still doesn't make it right."

Hermione smiled. "You two seem really close."

Draco nodded. "We are. He was my first true friend, and I'm his. It happened when he spared me from a fifteen-minute Cruciatus Curse. After we became friends, he started protecting me from the other Death Eaters and even tried persuading You-know-who to grant me pardons whenever I accidentally mess up his plans. I remembered one time when I made such a huge blunder that his whole plan would've backfired on us and got us all captured by the Aurors had Harry not apparated into the area and fixed everything. You-know-who had been so mad, he was thinking of getting me tortured, Muggle-style for days." Draco shivered. "Harry begged him to pardon me for hours. I was just standing there, hoping he could convince him to just crucio'd me for hours and then let me go."

Hermione leaned in closer. "What happened?"

Draco's eyes seemed to water and Harry patted him on the back gently. "Hermione, I don't think Draco wants to go on..."

Draco shook his head, and his voice sounded broken. "The Dark Lord told Harry that someone has to be punished for the blunder. Harry told him...that he'll take my punishment for me. You-know-who tried convincing him otherwise - that I was the one who committed the error and he was the one who fixed it, so I have to be the one punished for me to learn and he's to be rewarded; the Dark Lord had already pardoned me ten times. But Harry was firm. He was tortured and starved for four days, and later on, he could barely go up to his room even with my help. Harry wasn't allowed to heal his wounds - that way, the full impact of the punishment could be felt. The curse he cast on me was nothing compared to that." He shivered. He had always wondered what would happen had Harry just allowed him to take the punishments. Right now, Draco would probably be crippled.

Hermione widened her eyes. "Harry took your punishments for you?"

"Yeah, when my errors were too harsh to be pardoned. I kept trying to convince him to let me take some of my punishments, but he always refused."

Hermione turned to Harry. "You must really love him, don't you? To take all his tortures like that."

Harry nodded. "I do. He's my friend. Hey, you guys want to go into the Forbidden Forest tonight again? Let's finish up our Animagi training and then we'll see what to do from there."

Glad for the change of topic, they both nodded.

...............

Draco was lying against Harry's chest again, feeling safer than ever. It was his favorite place in the whole world. Sometimes he wondered if Harry had ever gotten tired of him lying against his chest like that. He remembered when, after taking his punishments for him, Harry had returned to his room and, finding Draco there, looking guilty, had wordlessly motioned for him to take his favorite spot on his chest. It had hurt Harry, but it had eased Draco's terror of Harry's potential anger at him (though it did made him felt guiltier). "Why didn't you let me take some of the punishments?"

Harry smiled and not taking his eyes off his book, he replied, "You trust me. How can I let you get hurt when you trust me to protect you from harm?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably. Now he understood why Harry was so peeved with him when he told the Hufflepuffs at the Sorting that he'd rather be smart and clever than loyal. Harry had been loyal to him, and Draco had basically said that he would abandon Harry to save his own skin when Harry had been doing the exact opposite. If Harry had been smarter than loyal, Draco would probably be maimed for life. If Harry had been smarter rather than loyal, he wouldn't've taken Draco's punishments onto his own person.

"Something wrong, Dray?" Harry whispered concernedly.

And even 'til now, Harry still cared for him. After all Draco said and done, Harry still cared for him. It made him want to cry. No one had ever cared so much about him before – not even his own parents. His father was always so emotionless, and his mother rarely has time for him. Harry cared more for him than anyone else in the world and shows it; he was sensitive to Draco's feelings and knows how vulnerable he is but never takes advantage of it; he was patient with him, sometimes even allowing him to let out his frustrations on him even though he had nothing to do with Draco's frustrations; and, most importantly, Harry was a very trustworthy person. Though he won't tell others his secrets, they could tell him. He would know exactly how to fix it or how to react. Draco could tell him anything and not be afraid of his innermost secrets running loose all over Hogwarts or being ridiculed.

And how did he repay the boy who changed his life? He gets in the way, messes up, and gets in trouble, the latter paying for his mistakes. Draco sighed. He wished he could find a way to repay Harry for all he's done for him. "It's nothing, Harry," he muttered. He didn't want Harry to worry about him.

"Right. Sure it's nothing." Harry's voice was filled with gentle sarcasm as he put his book down. Then, just suddenly, he realized how small the blond is compared to him. Harry's greatest fear could possibly be summed up in Draco (or Hermione) getting seriously hurt, and (second greatest fear) Voldemort dying. As he believed Voldemort had already died, this leaves his greatest fear. Hermione and Draco were the people closest to his heart, and it gladdened him today when the two have become closer to one another.

Draco suddenly jumped out of bed although he wanted nothing more than to stay in Harry's warm arms. The Slytherin House had the notion that the two were 'together' although they were no more than really close friends. "C'mon, Harry, we promised to meet Hermione in the Forbidden Forest, remember?"

"Yeah." Harry got up and changed as well and they both walked over to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione was there, clad in her thick cloak. "'Kay. Let's go." As they walked through the forest, he asked them casually, "You guys know what animal you're going to be?"

Draco sighed. He liked the idea of becoming an animagus, only he hated his animal. "A ferret."

Hermione giggled. "Interesting. I'm an otter. What are you, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "A dragon. I thought I would be a stag like my late father, but…"

Hermione blinked. "You-know-who was a stag?"

Harry chuckled, "For the magic of Merlin, no! My biological father – James Potter!"

"Oh. And I suppose you-know-who is a…?"

"…serpent. Yes. At least his patronus. He's not an animagi. He could produce a patronus, but he doesn't need to. Dementors don't affect him the way they affect normal people." Harry stopped at the clearing. "Alright then, after all the practice we had, I think we're ready to begin our transformation. Ready? One, two, three, go!" Harry felt something protruding from his shoulders and gasped as blue bat wings spread out wide. His limbs turned scaly and his fingernails and toenails sharpened and elongated into cruel hooks. The bones on his spines multiplied until his body was sleek, his neck long, and a tail was whipping the trees down. His sight became clear and he could see Draco as a ferret and Hermione as an otter even as small as they are. "I feel really tall."

Draco grumbled and muttered, "What use is a ferret? I go around, hunting rodents! What's the use?"

Hermione giggled and walked up daintily to the foot of the Giant Squid's pond. She gracefully leaped in and swam around the edge. "This is fun!"

Harry wondered if dragons could swim and decided to find out. He carefully stepped into the water, and miraculously, webs appeared between his claws. And he could feel gills taking the place of his lungs. Of course, there are water dragons… "Draco, join us!" He called back to Draco, who was looking miserably at his reflection in the water.

"No, the giant squid's going to eat me!" he squeaked back.

"Oh, puh-lease," Harry rumbled.

Hermione's laugh rang out as she came up to Draco and wrapped her strong otter arms around him and dropped him into the shallow end of the pond where he spluttered and squeaked indignantly, "I'll kill you for that, Granger!"

Harry narrowed his eyes as in the distance, he saw something silver-ish galloping off at a distance. A black mass was chasing after it and was gaining fast. Spreading his wings, Harry took flight, speeding up at the black figure and roaring. The unicorn was stumbling and finally fell, panting against a tree, watching the scene hazily. Harry slashed at the figure and its robes tore. In the moment, Harry transformed back, his wand up and ready. "Who are you, stranger?! Killing a unicorn to drink its blood are you? Show yourself!"

Then, to Harry's shock, a familiar hissing voice whispered back at him, "My son…Harry…don't you remember me?"

Harry gaped. "F-Father? I thought you were dead…" He lowered his wand and tucked it away. Then he came over to Voldemort and bowed his head in respect.

Voldemort gave a dry hiss of a chuckle before whispering with effort, "My son…the Sorcerer's Stone is at Hogwarts…third floor corridor…get it for me, so that I may return to power…I trust you…" With that the figure flew away.

Harry stared. The Sorcerer's Stone? At Hogwarts? He must get it. If not for himself, then at least for his fatherly figure. Voldemort was alive; that was all he needed. Third floor corridor. That will be easy. He turned around to see Hermione and Draco running towards him.

"Harry! Why'd you run off like that?" Hermione panted.

Harry paled, remembering how much Voldemort hated muggleborns. Should he retrieve the stone for him? A headache was coming to him. His parent or his friends?

Draco peered at him worriedly. "C'mon, Harry. You've got a game tomorrow. You look as pale as a ghost!"

Harry nodded. He turned to Hermione warily. "I'll explain everything tomorrow, 'kay?"

……

Draco snuggled into Harry's chest. "What did you see, Harry?" he whispered.

Harry closed his eyes. Draco would be terrified at Voldemort returning to life. It was probably better to lie to him…Harry winced at a sharp pang of his conscience. Lying to Draco hurt; Draco trusted him so much. But still, Harry couldn't bear to scare him. Keeping a cool face, he whispered, "It's nothing, Draco. I just saw a unicorn injured. It was nothing."

Draco could tell that there was more but decided not to push the topic further. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He couldn't help but feel that Harry was troubled. He was so used to Harry being the strong one in any situation that he had forgotten that his friend was only a human, just like himself. Finally he fell into a deep sleep, dreaming that Harry left him though he tried desperately to stop him.

Harry sighed. So many times, the lives of hundreds or even thousands were put into his hands. He was scared to make his own choices sometimes, knowing full well that one mistake could cost lives. Everyone expects him to be perfect, but don't they realize that he was only human? But whenever he looked at Draco and his trusting eyes, he felt the weight of the whole world but also felt the strength to follow through. Everything he had done, he had done it for Draco. He sacrificed his body to protect him physically, and he hid himself in order to protect Draco.

Harry looked down at Draco's face and smiled. Draco's face was angelic, pure, and looks so trusting. Suddenly, Harry knew that he could pull himself through this situation. He turned to Erykah, his snake, and ordered it, "Go down to the third floor and explore it for me, will you? Take Hedwig with you."

The two animals nodded in understanding and went out the door. Harry hugged Draco close to him. He needed all the strength he can muster.


End file.
